For Better Or Worse
by xSweetiePiex
Summary: Amanda knew going into it that being Dion's foster mother wasn't going to be easy. But she took on that responsibility for better or worse. What happens when Dion's not adjusting quite as well as Amanda hoped?


**Disclaimer: I do not own Diagnosis Murder or any of the characters. I'm not making any money off of this.**

**Summary: What if Dion's transition to Amanda's foster care wasn't as smooth as expected?**

**This story takes place sometime after "Gangland."**

**Please read & review. Feedback of any sort is ALWAYS appreciated! **

**For Better Or Worse**

Amanda turned around to take one final glance at her two children… yes, _two_. She was extremely pleased that tonight was one of the few nights she could actually come home early from work to spend time with C.J. and Dion. She usually only saw them on weekends… and even then, it was never enough.

One thing that Amanda could never be grateful enough for was her mother. Her mother came over every day to stay with her kids when they got home from school. Ever since Collin died, this was a life safer for Amanda. Her only other option was to quit work, but that was impossible… she needed the money.

Money. That was always an issue. She never wanted to take much money from her parents. But ever since she became Dion's foster mother, she had no other choice. She decided that it was worth swallowing her pride for a short while. And her parents understood. More than anyone else, they understood Amanda's need to show Dion a life where he doesn't need to live in constant fear.

That's what this whole foster parenting thing boiled down to. Amanda wanted to give the love she received to Dion. Plain and simple as that.

"Goodnight, boys." Amanda's voice seemed to float around the bedroom after she tucked her kids in.

"Night, mommy." C.J. replied. Amanda didn't wait to hear if Dion answered. He rarely did. He just smiled slightly in her direction. And that was enough.

Amanda left the boys' room and made her way to the living room. She lowered herself onto the sofa. Grabbing for the television remote, she felt the distinct vibrating of her cell phone. Sighing, she dug it out of her pocket. In the colored pixels she read the name "Mark."

"Hello?" Amanda greeted her old friend.

"Amanda?" Mark started out quietly, gaining volume with every word. "Amanda? Are you there?" He had just gotten a new cell phone and couldn't figure out exactly how it worked. It seemed so foreign and odd to him, so technologically advanced. "Is this thing on?"

"I'm right here, Mark." Amanda sighed. Her colleague rarely failed to put a smile on her face. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, I just had to ask you a question about that autopsy you just did for the Ruthers case… You know which case I'm talking about, don't you? Amanda? Amanda? Are you still there?" Mark started. But Amanda didn't hear him. In fact, she didn't listen to a word he said because all of a sudden she heard noises coming from the boys' room.

"Mark… can I call you back?" Amanda rushed out in a single breath. Without waiting for an answer, she hung up.

"Amanda is everything…" Mark was cut off by his cell phone announcing **call ended**. "All right…?" But he knew everything was not all right.

Back at Amanda's house, she was only concerned with the shouts coming from her kids' room.

"Stop! Please! Don't hit me!" Dion tossed and turned in his bed. His screams simmered down to an incomprehensible roar as Amanda approached his bed on the far side of the room. C.J. shot her an uncomfortable look. It was obvious he was just as bewildered as his mother.

"Dion, sweetie, it's going to be okay." Amanda's words were broken and choppy as she ran to his side. He was still caught in a realm half way between reality and a dream state. "It's me… Amanda. You're safe now, everything's going to be okay." She placed her hands on his shoulders and gently shook him, slowing his thrashing. With a sudden start, Dion's eyes shot open and met Amanda's.

Before he could avert his gaze, Amanda saw the sheer panic. She glanced over at C.J., who was staring intensely back at her.

"C.J., why don't you go sit on the couch and watch some T.V.?" Her voice left no room for argument. Not trusting his voice, he nodded and disappeared behind the doorway.

Dion started shaking. "No… please… I'm sorry I woke you up. Don't hit me. Please. I won't do it again. I promise." His words lost their coherency as he dissolved into tears.

"Shhh… Shhh… sweetheart." Amanda reached out the boy, but instead of letting her embrace him, Dion curled up in a ball, protecting his head from what seemed to him an attack. "It's going to be okay. You didn't wake me up, baby. The nightmares aren't real… You're safe here with me. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you ever again." Dion started to uncurl. He brought himself to a seated position and let Amanda wrap her arms gently around him.

"You know, it must be scary coming into a new place like this."

"I'm not scared." Dion countered, his voice betraying more courage than he really had. He pulled out of her grip. "I'm not."

"I never said you were." Amanda's voice softened. She knew that this was a lot of opening up for one day. She had already made so much progress with this kid. She had studied so much on child abuse, and she knew about the foster care system from personal experience. She knew that what he told her already was a lot for him. It meant that he trusted her. She knew enough to know better than to push him too far too fast.

"How about I get you some milk and then we try to go back to sleep?" Amanda asked the boy, who now had lain back down. Dion just nodded. Amanda made her way to the kitchen and saw a now sleeping C.J. reclining on the couch. After delivering the milk to Dion, she came back and carried C.J. back to his bed, still asleep.

"Goodnight, Dion." Amanda whispered before leaving for the last time, hopefully, that night.

She waited expectantly for a response. When she got none, she just sighed. The soft, sweet Dion had disappeared into the tough, too big for his britches Dion. She wished he trusted her enough to open up completely. Amanda knew that this would be he best possible thing for him. She knew this was just wishful thinking.

She flipped off the light switch, and now exhausted herself, went to bed.

So… what do you think? Please review! TBC! 


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